The expression of personal opinions can lead to the emergence of truth or fallacious claims. The way people chose to speak determines the reaction of the listener in various ways. Logical fallacy or formal fallacies mean a flaw in reasoning or thought about something. It means coming up with reason but lacks enough arguments to support the reason. In logical fallacies as scare tactics, it means using fallacies to inflict fear. Logical fallacies used as scare tactics and appeal to force are common in day to day lives from childhood to adulthood.
The logical fallacy for scare tactics has a certain pattern in which it is formulated to appeal to fear or to force. First, the claim that is meant to produce fear is represented (Mills, 23). Secondly, the claim that is generally but necessarily related to the first claim is represented. Therefore, it should be that the second claim is true because it is related to the first claim (Mills, 24). The type of reasoning in such is considered a logical fallacy because the creation of fear in people does not show the evidence of the claim. The second claim makes the intended listener accept the first claim without even thinking about the reasoning behind the claim.
In determining and understanding logical fallacies as a scare tactic, there are two important points to distinguish; the rational reason to believe and the prudential reason to believe (Crossley & Peter, 198). The rational reason to believe is the evidence that supports the claim logically. The prudential reason to believe is the reason that makes an individual accept the belief that seems related to a person’s values. Prudential reason to believe serves as motivation to believe in the claim such as a threat or fear (Crossley & Peter, 199). An example of a logical fallacy is when you are in competition with one of your friends. Your friend tells you that if you do not let her win, you can no longer be friends. Such a situation inflicts the fear of losing your friendship. Therefore, you accept to let her win in fear of losing your friendship.
Logical fallacies are meant to manipulate the minds of people by making them emotional and irrational instead of calculating and reasonable (Barnet & Hugo, 67). The fallacies can lead to emotional, physical, social and financial impacts as they make one to agree to something or accept an idea that they otherwise would not agree or accept. Some of the fallacies appear impossible and unlikely to happen but once the fear is produced the individual considers the possibility of the fallacy being true. Therefore, anything is possible, but not everything is probable.
Work Cited
Barnet, Sylvan, and Hugo Adam. Bedau. Current Issues and other Enduring Questions: A Guide
2005. Print.
Crossley, David J., and Peter A. Wilson. How to Argue: An Introduction to the Logical
Thinking. New York: Random House, 1979. Print.
Mills, Billy. Logical Fallacies. Great Britain: Peter Riley, 2002. Print.
